Chapter 6 – Dinosaur Attack – Part 1
Zahir and his horse Mint came to a stop as they found an opening out of the trees and could no longer the echoes of any horses. Sparing no time to feel relief, Zahir took out his crumpled map that was more than half his size to get a grip of his surroundings. He was able to pinpoint what side of the mountain he was on due to the clear greenery of the small forest he had just went through and the small field of thin, dry grass beside it, but wasn't able to identify if he was East or West due to the surrounding area. Feeling a sense of defeat, despite his very recent tag team victory with Yudan, he slumped down beside a tree next to Mint.
"Rats, those people are probably going after Yudan right now, and I couldn't even get Mint to go the right way" Zahir thought. "Well, if I'm stuck alone and Mint is taking a rest, I guess it's time for a snack".
He pulled out a packet of beef jerky from his items that thankfully wasn't too hot to eat, ripping the packet open and began munching. Of some of the new food Zahir had the opportunity to taste since the start of his adventurous trip to the western side of the world, this was one of his preferred choices, and easy to get a hold of too. He closed his eyes and raised his head as his mind drifted off to all the new American snacks he's tried, then to his mother's cooking, and how he would actually much prefer that right now, given that the cosy hospitality of home seemed so far out of his reach.
When Zahir opened his eyes, he was shaken to see green eyes staring back, incredibly, invasively close above his face. He made a quick yelp, and dived towards his horse, only getting half-way, so he rapidly flailed his legs to push himself backwards as he stared at what had so suddenly cornered him. He got a better look at the woman that he noticed had actually hooked her feet to the largest branch of the tree to get herself in that upwards position, her extrovertedly dyed-yellow hair hanging down as she began to laugh, the laughter quickly turning into snorting, then, with almost Olympic-level gymnastic ability, pushing her feet off the branch to do a half-backflip to the ground, landing perfectly on her feet. She wore denim blue shorts and a yellow sports jacket Zahir didn't recognise the brand of. Her messy hair bun was kept low, in the front her bangs split down to strands in front of her ears going just lower than her chin. But strangest of all, she had gold steampunk-style goggles on the top of her head.
"Ha ha! You should have seen the LOOK on your FACE!" She fell back into laughter.
"Wha... Why did you do that!?" Zahir continued to recoil, paralyzed in fear.
"Got to get your attention somehow! Plus, the way you were looking just made it too easy to do that! I couldn't pass that up!"
Zahir said nothing. He only continued to stare at the girl with shock, unsure how to even react. What was he even supposed to say back?
"Anyhoo, I sort of need to duel you now, tournament rules and stuff... Y'know, you spend all of this time just sitting on a horse in the middle of nowhere and you barely get to play any card games! Where's the fun in that?"
"Oh, you just want to duel? That's it?" Zahir tried to dodge the question.
"Well, duh! Did you think I just wanted to mug you?" She said confused.
Zahir said nothing again.
"Gee, not much of a talker, huh? Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not a criminal, but I am a threat you in a different way..." her voice became a lot more mischievous and sly. "I've been waiting a good while to catch somebody to pummel... in a card game".
"Well, if it's a duel you want, then I'm more than happy to accept! I'm on a bit of a hot streak myself!" Zahir perked up and stood to face his new challenger.
"Oh, really? Then don't disappoint me, I don't this to end too quick!" The woman's eyes widen and she felt giddy.
"Um, sorry, but what's your name? I feel I should be a bit more respectful and ask that at least".
"Huh? Oh, Alice".
"Well, Alice, get ready because I'm to give you a shock of my own!"
The Claim Raiders were galloping in a panicked state, going back and forth in-between the rocks and large bushes to pursue Yudan, who had just recently vanished from sight. AJ, Greg, Carter and Denny were all riding frantically, looking around the mountainous area, searching for any sign of another horse. AJ attempted to track any horse prints in the ground, but the back and forth of their horses had made any distinction of Yudan's and their own practically impossible. His expression turning sour, he faced his teammates.
"You idiots! Not only did you lose, you let him get away!?"
"That Yudan kid had a stupid trap card, and there was an annoying beetle thing! They just got stupid lucky!" Carter stumbled.
"Lucky isn't a good excuse to me! So, you better come up with a better one by the time we get back to the rest of the team, 'cause the boss will want answers and I know better not to lie to him!"
"Oh, come on, AJ! The boss doesn't need to know about this, can't you just-" Greg tried to plead, but looking at AJ told him that he wasn't willing to change his decision. "Never mind".
"AJ, you don't need to do that, can't we just keep looking for him?" Denny asked.
AJ realised he was being unnecessarily harsh. He knew Carter and Greg were no-good losers like most of the Claim Raiders, but Denny's words cooled him down. He was only willing to listen to him.
"Fine, but if we can't find that Yudan punk and that other guy, we continue to Battle Mountain. He's probably not here anymore so we get out of here and circle the outskirts of this area. If we do find him, I'll be the one to duel, considering you two were no good. After all, I've climbed my way to being one of the top duellistsin our ranks, and he might actually be an interesting challenge. And if we don't find him, you better find some nobodies to duel before the time limits over, you got that?"
Carter and Greg just nodded.
"Good, now let's go!"
"This is your fault" Carter moaned quietly towards Greg.
"Oh, just shut up" Greg muttered back.
The Claim Raiders redirected their horses back through towards the crevice Yudan had escaped through, leaving the scene. As they went by, they did not notice Yudan's hat poke out of the largest bush to see that they had dispersed from his hiding location. He climbed out from inside the bush, covered in small leaves and twigs, then did his best to pull Maroon out of the bush as well, though this took a solid three minutes to get him free of the bush's grasp. When Maroon was eventually released from its bushy prison, it was covered in as much foliage as its rider was. Yudan was familiar enough with horses to tell that Maroon was not pleased at all to be stuffed in a bush. Instead of thinking about what else he could have done to prevent this, he was disgruntled, picking off twigs from his own body.
"What a bunch of nutjobs..." he grumbled. The first of the tournament's many rounds had not even been finished yet, and he was already sick to his teeth of random people turning up to put him in unpleasant situations.
Zahir slotted in his deck into his duel disk, the device's zone slots clicking together to activate, the screen flashing active, ready to be used.
Alice had prepared her own disk, wrapping it across her arm and shot out a laser to Zahir's, triggering their disks to be connected as shown on the screens; the names Zahir Sharma and Alice Patel could be read and the green, open area was set to become the battleground for the upcoming match. The coin toss on the screen gave Zahir the opening turn with a heads. They each had their decks automatically shuffled their decks and drew five cards in sync.
"Duel!"
Zahir peered at his opening hand and was delighted to see two cards in particular.
"Flipping Grub and Growth Gold! I can get Golden Flipper Beetle out in two turns!" Zahir thought to himself as he drew for his turn. "But no traps... I guess I can bluff this spell as a trap to keep my grub safe!"
"I set a monster and this special little card face-down!"
"Augh, you're not one of those stall players, are you? They completely take away any fun" Alice asked.
"Um... No?" Zahir wasn't sure how to respond once again. Talking to this person felt like a duel on its own.
"Great! I special summon Gilasaurus straight from my hand!" A raptor monster appeared on Alice's field. (Effect, Level 3, ATK 1400, DEF 400) Normally, you get to special summon your own monster in your graveyard from my buddy's effect, but empty graveyard, such a shame!"
"So, you get that for free..." Zahir said in a low voice.
"And to join him, I summon the fantastic Sabersaurus!" (Normal, Level 4, ATK 1900, DEF 500) Alice slapped her card on her disk and the red triceratops monster appeared. "Now non-stop action! Sabersaurus, attack!"
"Just like that?" Zahir had noticed she cared nothing for his face-down bluff.
As Sabersaurus ran, Flipping Grub was revealed, taking little time to flip around before being vaulted into the air from Sabersaurus's horns, shattering into light as it was destroyed.
"Now Gilasaurus, give that guy a nibble!"
Gilasaurus leapt into the air, diving its head down as it fell to sink its teeth into Zahir's left shoulder, he could not feel the pain of an actual attack but instead an unnatural sensation. Zahir didn't know what was worse in the moment as he winced. (Zahir LP to 2600)
"There's a good dinosaur, yes you are!" Alice tried to caress Gilasaurus's head as it returned to her side of the field, but instead her hand was phasing through her monster, so she instead shooed it back and it returned to facing her opponent. "Seriously, what special card? I was expecting something exciting!"
"Oh well, I can do something exciting now!" Zahir drew his next card. "I summon Colony Trooper!"
A black ant standing on its hind legs carrying a spear donning a green flag with an ant head on it entered the field. (Effect, Level 4, ATK 1600, DEF 1200)
"I'll then reveal my face card, the equip spell Insect Armour with Laser Cannon! This will-"
"Wait, wait, wait, stop! Did you try to LIE to me with a spell card!? I know people like you who try to constantly lie to me, and I know that they are a bunch of no good-"
"A-anyway!" Zahir interrupted her back, really wishing she'd stop interrupting this duel. "Equipping my cannon to Colony Trooper gives it 700 more ATK points!"
Colony Trooper switched out its spear for the mechanical artillery now being kept on its back, its strength increased to 2300.
"Colony Trooper, attack Sabersaurus!"
A blast of green shot out of the cannon, obliterating Sabersaurus and kicking a bit of dried grass into the air temporarily. (Alice LP 3600)
"Now with my attack done, I end my turn!" Zahir did his best to point with authority.
"No good, lousy little... oh well, parting is sweet sorrow!" Alice switched to from an angry expression to a care-free one as she drew. "Now you're going to enter a world of pain, soldier boy, specifically the field spell Jurassic World!"
Alice placed her card in the field spell zone as it opened up out of the side of her duel disk. Suddenly, incredible amounts of lush jungle tree sprouted from the ground, the grass then seeming to extend in length ten-fold, then great lumps of stone surrounded the outskirts of the duel arena. Zahir understood it was all holographic, but couldn't help but marvel at the realistic scenery, the illusion of being in a Jurassic time period.
"Not only are my dinosaurs playing on home soil, but their attack and defence gain a 300-point boost! Now, I'll tribute Gilasaurus for something a bit later down the dinosaur timeline, Frostosaurus!"
Gilasaurus was replaced with a brachiosaurus monster encased in thick ice, its shadowy visage not showing any physical details but only glowing orange eyes. (Normal, Level 6, ATK 2600, DEF 1900) It's attack power jumped up to 2900 from the Jurassic World.
"Now Frostosaurus, glacial stomp on the sneaky bug!"
Frostosaurus trampled on Colony Trooper, destroying it in a single stomp. (Zahir LP 2000)
"When Colony Trooper is destroyed, I get a Colony Token!" Zahir exclaimed as a black ant appeared out of the grassy ground in defence. (Level 2, ATK 500, DEF 500)
"Fine, fine, my turn is done".
"Then let's see what I can do about that dinosaur! Draw!" Zahir slashed at his deck, hoping it would give him something to fight Frostosaurus, though no specific card came to his head. He looked at his new card, then at the rest of his hand. "Man, this is really risky... but I've got to do it!"
"Oooo, some danger, I was hoping this wouldn't end next turn!"
"Wouldn't it be better for you if you won straight away?" Zahir asked.
"Seriously, that's the whole point! You don't just shove the food in your mouth and swallow it whole, you make sure to savour it, properly chewing through" Alice was continuing to make Zahir uncomfortable, now through comparing him to a food analogy.
"Uuuummm... By banishing an insect monster from my graveyard, I special summon Aztekipede, the Worm Warrior from my hand!" Zahir ejected Colony Trooper out of his graveyard compartment to his banish one, then playing the large, green centipede monster. (Effect, Level 4, ATK 1900, DEF 400) "Now, I'll tribute him straight away for my trusty Colony Queen!"
Aztekipede vanished, only to be replaced with a giant crowned ant with a large green gem on its purple chest plate. (Effect, Level 6, ATK 2000, 1600 DEF)
"Then my queen gives me another token, this time in attack mode! Now with all this, I activate the spell Wonder Dice! I target a monster with 500 attack points or lower, then I roll the die, and its power gets multiplied by the result!"
"Very dangerous, are you sure you can make it?" Alice smirked, knowing he need to get a six to defeat her Frostosaurus, but was going to enjoy the thrill of the dice regardless.
"I'll have to! Dice, roll!" As Zahir commanded, a large golden die appeared and span around, then was launched into the air, making a sparkle sound effects as it bumped on the ground. With both players fixated on the die, it eventually came to a stop at a four. A colony token went up to 2000 ATK.
"Oh well, can't win them all" Alice commented.
"That's what I wanted! Now, with Colony Queen's effect, I raise it attack further by 600 for every other insect, making it, uuuummm..." Zahir checked his duel disk screen. "3200! Now my powered-up token attacks!"
With the power of Colony Queen's energy and Wonder Dice, the little token was able to cut through Frostosaurus with its pincers, destroying it with a grandiose explosion. Both players raised their hands to cover from the blast.
"Now Colony Queen attacks directly!"
Colony Queen shot out a blast of energy from its gem to Alice, which kicked up dirt and dust, which made it difficult for her to see in the moment. (Alice LP 1400)
"Now I set this card, the token returns to normal and I end my turn! One more attack like that and I-" Zahir cut himself off when he was how angry Alice looked, "Oh, sorry!"
"Sorry doesn't cut it, helmet head! I came here to maul somebody in a card game, and they lie to me TWICE about what they need to get or what they need, stupid DICE!"
"I-I didn't lie! I don't know what you're talking abo-"
"Enough! Draw!" Alice sped into her next card. "I summon Two-Headed King Rex!"
A purple two-headed tyrannosaurus monster appeared. (Normal, Level 4, ATK 1600, DEF 1200) Its ATK jumped to 1900.
"Now the continuous spell, Solidarity! Since I've only got dinosaurs in my graveyard, dinosaurs get an 800-attack boost!" The normally standard rex jumped up to an incredible 2700. "Now attack the tiny, stupid, annoying, condescending, little colony token in attack mode!"
"I activate the trap Colony Defence; I summon a new colony token in defence mode and you're attack switches to that instead!". A colony token sprouted into being and blocked the Rex's bite, being destroyed asquickly as it came, but no damage was dealt.
"Ah, stupid traps, I hate traps, blight on the game, shame on the game!" Alice was beginning to sound like a child on a tantrum, only with more complicated words. "I end my turn!"
"Then I draw!" Zahir's new card was no help for defeating Alice's new, even stronger monster, nor was it helpful in defence. He'd run out of gas. He stood there for a bit, thinking it better to just try and hold on for now, even if it meant giving up Colony Queen to be dinosaur food. "I switch Colony Queen to defence mode and I end my turn!"
"Then now, non-stop action, draw!" Alice drew her card, but already knew her play. "I tribute my Rex for Dark Driceratops!"
A vicious-looking green triceratops monster sporting feathers like a mane appeared. (Effect, Level 6, ATK 2400, DEF 1500)
"And then it gains the power from my World and Solidarity!" Alice pointed at the monster as its power rose 3500. "Now, it's been fun... Oh, who am I kidding, not really, but this is over! Driceratops, attack the token!"
"Not the queen!?" Zahir was shocked.
"Don't need to! Dark Driceratops has a nifty thing called piercing damage!"
"What!?"
Dark Driceratops ploughed through Zahir's token with such incredible force that it caused a small crater on the field as dirt was kicked up into the air, doing so much damage that Zahir's luke warm 2000 life points plummeted to 0 in a single hit. He fell to his knees, helpless to watch as another big, bold, red cross appeared by his name on screen. He only needed to lose one more time for it all to be over.
"Aaaand, much better! Actually, no I don't, I got really upset, screaming like a scrub". Alice's voice and expression seriously mellowed out as she picked up her cards and returned them to her deck. She walked back to Zahir, who was still in a state of panic and shock, and knelt down to his level. "Though I was hoping you'd go more of a distance, say three or four more turns, y'know, really grind out the process to maximum contentment, but nah, no joy. Man, I don't feel happy at all!"
"I lost again..." Zahir muttered.
"Don't feel too bad, helmet boy!" Alice harshly patted Zahir on the back, but his body did not respond. "When you come across at a human monster like me, everything else goes into the toilet, your skill may as well be dead weight!"
A memory flashed into Zahir's mind.
"Get Yudan Raines! He's the one we want, the other guy's dead weight!" The last thing Zahir heard as he was forced to part ways with Yudan swirled like a fish in his brain.
"Dead weight, no, I can't be... I wasn't that bad, was I?"
"Not bad, just no fun for me. Anyway, toodles!"
Alice picked herself up and began to walk off. Zahir also got himself off the ground, with the intent to say something back, a fiery, passionate retort that would bring himself back up and shock this woman to her core. But as she got further away, it became harder for him to speak, stumbling on where even to begin. No words left his mouth.
"Zahir!"
Making his presence known through the trees, a certain red and purple haired teen with a cowboy hat appeared, riding a still disgruntled horse.
"Yudan, how did you find me!?"
"I could hear a duel from a while back, I thought it was those Claim Raider guys but I can't believe I actually managed to find you again. Anyway, how did that duel go?"
Zahir stopped in place and looked to the ground. Yudan knew he had lost.
"Ah, I see".
"And who are you supposed to be, cowboy!?" Alice had decided to walk back in-between Yudan and Zahir, seeing someone new had shown up to talk to. She pointed straight to Yudan's hat, which caught them both off guard a bit.
"I'm not a cowboy, just another duelist" Yudan flashed the duel disk on his arm to the eccentric looking woman, then jumped off Maroon to be at a more eye level to the person he was speaking to, though he was still taller. "I take it you're a competitor as well?"
"Well, Da-Doy, cowboy!" Alice said in a rhythm, much to annoyance of Yudan. "Yeah, I beat this scrub in a flash, one turn kill, no questions asked!"
"No, you didn't! It was a few turns each!" Zahir retorted.
"Say what you like..." Alice shoved her hand to Zahir's face, stopping him from saying anymore. "But losers will make anything up to save their miniscule reputation!"
"But I'm telling the tru-"
"Save your blasphemous drivel, soldier boy! This new guy looks way stronger than you, so I'm making a good impression formy new competition!"
"Is it that obvious?" Zahir thought to himself glumly.
"What makes you think I'll want to duel someone like you?" Yudan criticized.
"Well, unless you readying up to go for that guy" Alice pointed to Zahir dismissively. "You'll need to look for someone else to take on... me obviously!" Alice then pointed to herself with her thumb.
Yudan halted his words to think about what Alice had just said. Yudan did need to win one more duel to advance in the tournament, but didn't want it to be with this girl who had spent the first moment meeting someone to give a big "I am". On the other hand, what if she had the skill to back up her claim?
"Fine, I'll take you on".
"Now that's the spirit!"
"One problem though".
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"We need to wait for your disk to... uh... Recharge".
Alice looked at her disk screen to show it was counting down, the timer being at 55 minutes and 45 seconds.
"Ah, the tournament's time limit in between duels" Alice stood there staring awkwardly at her disk counting down the time. "Oh well, we can talk smack until then!"
Alice looked up to see Yudan walking away with Zahir closely following behind.
"OR... we can just talk! What kind of movies you like!? What's your favourite colour!?"
"Let's just meet back in an hour's time, I'll face you then" Yudan waved his hand back to her as he continued to walk.
"Fine! I'll just grab my horse and... play solitaire I guess..." Alice sulked away in the opposite direction.
Yudan and Zahir jumped on their horses and rode at a slow pace to the small number of trees nearby, though they were still plentiful in shade to save them from the heat. Zahir opened his mouth to speak, but Yudan spoke first.
"I know what you're going to say, but I don't want to hear about her deck. It doesn't feel right to me having an advantage like that, I want to go in blind".
"That's... not what I wanted to say".
"Oh, then it's just me, go ahead".
"I don't think I'm cut out for this".
"... Really?"
"I just feel like I don't belong here. Everyone in this tournament is so good at Duel Monsters, played for years, I only had ten cards two years ago. Others have spent a lot of time practicing what cards beat what, what do I know? I know my cards, that's it. Maybe a few more from when I started playing properly, but I just don't know or have the skill to do enough. It just feels like... being hopeless. The wins I do have were just a fluke and a combo only you put together. I shouldn't have gone here, it feels like if any of my siblings took my place, they could do tons better. They're smarter, braver... just better".
Yudan halted Maroon. When Zahir noticed, he halted Mint.
"Seems like you have similar family problems, after all. It destroys me too. Feeling like you want to be someone else, someone stronger, better, different. But I need to ask you this, at the bottom of your heart, do you want to change?"
Zahir gave his question a lot ofthought.
"Yes".
"Then you'll improve. That's all I can really think of to say. As long as you push forward with the desire for things to get better, you can make it happen, at least that's what I think".
"What? Can you explain?"
"I... just know that if you keep doing this tournament, knowing you're trying your hardest, the situation will go your way. If you continue with that hope, I know you'll keep up with me".
"But how can you say that in a game of chance?"
"Well, there's this sort of superstition in Duel Monsters, that the duellists who have the strongest reason and purpose to succeed, will succeed. Of course, deckbuilding and strategy is at the centre of this game, but reason to succeed is the factor thatpushes fate to give the person with the most determination the advantage that gives the slight edge over another, I think. That's what gives me the confidence to know I'll win this tournament, no matter what anyone else tries to tell me".
"Wow, so you're telling me you believe ina magic power to win duels?"
"Not exactly, it's more belief. I think they used to call it duelist's heart, heart of the cards, that sort of thing. Plus, I'd much rather have you on my side than your younger sister or whoever".
"... Ok, I feel a bit better now. I'll try and get better, like you said. To change myself, like a, like a, uh... like a caterpillar into a butterfly! Or a Flipping Grub into a Golden Flipper Beetle!"
"Good enough. Now, let's grab something to eat. I refuse to duel for my livelihood on an empty stomach".
"Ok!"
Zahir remembered that Yudan had something to fight for too. To become a successful duelist championand to prove his family wrong, the same family that had decided to use an unfathomable amount of money, at least for Zahir, to set up a bounty and get others to prevent him from continuing the Odyssey tournament. In Zahir's mind, that seemed a lot more intense than his own confidence issues. Wanting money to support your family seems a lot smaller and bland in comparison.
45 Minutes later...
On time, Yudan and Zahir had ridden back to the same spot where they had departed in the previous hour. As planned, Alice and her horse were waiting, laying her knees on the ground... playing Solitaire with a deck of playing cards. She looked up to see them both riding over, and in a hurry, scrambled the playing cards back together into a messy pile and exchanged it with the duel diskin a sack her horse was carrying to put on her right arm.
"So, you did show up!" Alice stood in place as Yudan got of his horse, Zahir remainedmounted.
"Of course I did, I'm no petty liar" Yudan spoke as if leaving wasn't even an option he could have considered.
"Me neither, I'm an absolute truther!"
"Whatever, let's just get serious and do this".
"Ugh, let's get serious, I'll destroy anyone who stands in my way" Alice mocked Yudan's tone. "Come on, it's like no one in this tournament knows this a game or something. You'd think riding horses into the sunset would tip people off to relax a bit".
"I don't suppose you have a purpose to win then".
"I have a purpose, obviously! To have the time of my life destroying fools in a card game!"
"If that's all, then I'll know I'll win".
"Huh!?"
"I have more to lose than you, so the Goddess of Fate shall favour my dreamover your hollow one".
"Really, just a lousy god!?" Alice grinded her teeth. "You'll be seeing a lot of purpose when I'm trampling that serious dream you have to mush!"
"That's a better attitude!" Yudan slotted his deck into his disk and it activated in kind. "I'm going to be this tournament's champion and I want to see some bark from the duellists I beat!"
"I don't believe in anything stupid, like the power of family and friendship, or whatever, but I'm going to tear you apart like your buddy boy over there!"
Zahir gulped.
"Then let's see what you got!"
"DUEL!"
END OF CHAPTER
Hello, Author here, you can tell because of the different font. I appreciate those who have been waiting patiently for the next chapter. You may have noticed I have changed how I display monster card stats and life points. I think this overall lets me convey more information for reading with less, plus it doesn't feel as repetitive. I don't mind at all getting feedback, so if anyone likes or dislikes this change, please let me know either by review or private DM, as I enjoy getting responses for this fanfic (except from AI and scammers). As of this chapter being released, I am working on the next one, so hopefully it won't be too long before it is complete. See you again soon.